NYC Build it Back is the City program to assist homeowners, landlords and tenants in the five boroughs whose primary homes were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Funded by the Federal Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Bill passed by Congress, the goal of NYC Build it Back is to help affected residents return to safe, sustainable housing by addressing unmet housing recovery needs .

To Get Started:Register online or call 311 and ask for NYC Build it Back. Once you register, begin to gather necessary documents from this list.

Beginning in July, the City will schedule an in-person appointment between the applicant and a Housing Recovery Specialist. The Housing Recovery Specialist will act as the applicant’s primary point of contact through the application submission process until the applicant either selects an assistance option or is deemed ineligible. Applicants will be contacted based upon order of priority.

Options available through the NYC Build it Back programNYC Build it Back provides several pathways to help you return to permanent, sustainable housing: Repair, Rebuild, Reimbursement and Acquisition. These are the options your Housing Recovery Specialist will discuss with you if you are eligible for funding:

Repair: If your home needs repairs, NYC Build it Back will assign a contractor to you to complete the work, or you can use your own contractor to do the work, following program guidelines and cost restrictions. NYC Build it Back will make payments directly to the contractor.

Rebuild: If you need to rebuild your home, you may choose from several customizable model homes designed specifically for your community. You may also choose your own contractor to build one for you, following program guidelines and within cost restrictions. NYC Build it Back will make payments directly to the contractor.

Reimbursement: If you have already spent your own funds to make repairs to your home, you may be eligible for reimbursement. Please maintain all receipts for work done and items purchased.

Acquisition/Buyout: You may also have the option of voluntarily selling your home to the government. New York City and New York State have been working together to determine where it makes sense to purchase properties return to undeveloped, open space (NY State Buyout Program), and where it makes sense to purchase properties which can be redeveloped to more resilient standards. Your Housing Recovery Specialist will explain those options.

Eligibility requirements for NYC Build it Back:

Personal eligibility requirements include:

Homeowners and landlords must have owned the damaged property at the time of the storm and maintained ownership in order to be eligible for assistance.

All residential buildings which act as a primary residence (whether owner-occupied, or renter-occupied year-round) may be eligible. Owners of single or multi-family buildings (over four units), rentals, cooperatives or condominiums in the five boroughs damaged by Sandy can qualify for NYC Build It Back grants or loans

Per federal regulations, second homes are not eligible for assistance.

US citizenship or documented qualified alien status

Property eligibility requirements include:

Homes must be located within NYC

Homes must have suffered damage as a result of Sandy

Information for renters affected by Hurricane Sandy:The City, through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, will be administering a temporary rental subsidy program to serve a very limited number of Sandy-displaced households earning less than 50% of the area median income, who have not already been offered placements through public housing or Section 8. Under this temporary disaster assistance program, households are required to pay 30% of their income toward rent. Registration for rental assistance is through the 311 NYC Build it Back intake process. Funding is limited and households currently residing in the city’s hotel system will be prioritized.